'Deva' review: Shahid Kapoor is excellent in imperfect thriller
What's the story
Rosshan Andrrews's Deva, released on Friday, is led by Shahid Kapoor, with supporting performances by Pooja Hegde, Pavail Gulati, and Pravessh Rana.
Thrilling, smart, explosive, and engaging, it easily draws you, but its inconsistency means that you cannot commit yourself to it fully.
Nonetheless, Kapoor is earnest throughout and for the large part, the film remains watchable.
Story
A rebellious cop and a murder mystery
The film follows Dev (Kapoor), a rebellious police officer with a flagrant disregard for rules and authority.
However, he is excellent at his job, and thus, admired by his peers.
Dev's life takes a turn for the worse when his close friend and another cop, Rohan (Gulati) is murdered in cold blood.
Can Dev find out who the killer is before time runs out?
#1
Dev's character is given a proper arc
Andrrews quickly establishes Dev's character and we stay with him throughout, witnessing the good, the bad, the ugly.
Dev is anti-establishment, anger courses through him at all times, and he seems to be on a crusade to "clean" the city of all evil—it's the reinvention of the Angry Young Man.
Moreover, the flashy, proud tribute to Amitabh Bachchan pumps life into the movie regularly.
#2
Keeps throwing twists at you
Instead of revealing all interesting, juicy information in one go, Deva keeps dropping breadcrumbs, and this helps the film massively.
With each twist and each new reveal, we find ourselves much more interested in the gripping storyline, attempting to solve the case alongside Dev.
Additionally, just when you think you have seen it all, Kapoor's performance takes you by surprise.
#3
More on Kapoor's performance
The intensity of Dev's gaze, and his manic, feral, unbridled energy will instantly take you back to Kapoor's roles in Udta Punjab, Haider, and Kaminey.
He is in nearly every frame, carrying the film on his back and lending it much-needed gravitas in scenes where the film seems to struggle evidently.
His scenes with Rana, who plays his senior, Farhan, are especially gripping.
#4
Problems: Hegde has nothing to do
Hegde plays Diya, a journalist and Dev's girlfriend.
However, she has a guest appearance in her own film, and the script completely forgets her existence at several crucial junctures.
Even Rana and Gulati, who play supporting characters, have much more screen time than her.
It's tragic if the film cannot find ample scenes for its female lead despite a runtime of over 150 minutes.
#5
Could have worked better if it were crisp
There isn't fuel to justify this long runtime.
Several scenes seem unnecessary, while others seem like a replica of something we have already seen ten minutes before.
The film loses some of its edge because it takes so long to reach the finish line, and in the climax, you feel like some scenes/sub-plots are left hanging without a proper, satisfactory explanation.
Verdict
Can watch for its twists, Kapoor's performance; 3/5 stars
Toward the end, the film becomes scattered, almost as if it's in a rush to make the final reveal.
Supporting characters come and go, without adding much to the plot, and Deva doesn't exploit its complete potential.
Despite these flaws, however, Kapoor, Rana, and Gulati ensure that you stay hooked to the story, and the twists make the film worth your time.
3/5 stars.